Lock for gasoline tank caps



Jan. 21, 1941. H. BRANNON ET AL 2,229,365

LOCK FOR GASOLINE TANK CAPS I Filed July 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor .Z-H Brawn/am EB alker A iiorneys Jan. 21, 1941.

L. H. BRANNON ET AL Filed July 27 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I g :1 I t j If l. HB/'a7an0n g V L j w E BI Valiier 1 2'6 1 a, w By Aitorneys Patented Jan. 21, 1941 g UNITE STATES LOCK FOR GASOLINE TANK CAPS Lewis H. Brannon and Ernest B. Walker, De Funiak Springs, Fla.

Application July 27, 1939, Serial No. 286,925

1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for locking the closure caps of gasoline tanks, particularly caps used on automobile storage tanks for gasoline.

More particularly the invention has reference to a keyless lock for such caps, and an object of the invention is to provide a lock of this character which can be very cheaply manufactured and will at the same time be well adapted for the purpose designed.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the lock equipped l Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view showing the manner of mounting an indexed equipped knob on the closure cap.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the lock housing.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a washer.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the combina- -5 tion disks forming part of the lock.

Figure 8 is a sectional view therethrough taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the locking bolt.

Figure 10 is a plan view of an actuator arm.

30 Figure 11 is an edge elevational view of the actuator arm.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the invention comprises a cap 5 that is adapted 35 to fit on the filling neck 6 of an automobile gasoline storage tank.

Secured to the crown of the cap 5 within the confines of the flange 1 of the cap is a casing 8. The casing 8 is provided with attaching flanges 40 or lugs 9 through the medium of which and screws or other fastening elements I!) said casing 8 is positively secured to the crown of the cap 5.

Also secured to the under side of the crown of the cap 5 at one side of the casing 8 are a pair 45 of bolt guides H in which is slidably mounted a locking bolt l2. The bolt l2 has a tapered end l3 that works through an opening I 4 provided therefor in the periphery of the casing 8.

Fixedly mounted within the casing 8 is a stud 50 15 about which is rotatable, as an axis, a pair of complemental combination disks or tumblers l6 and I! respectively.

Arranged in alternation with the disks [6 and I7 are washers H3. The washers l8 are retained 55 against rotating movement on the stud l5 through the medium of keys l9 provided on the washers l8 and engaging in a way or groove provided in the stud l5. Thus it will be seen that the intermediate washer It also serves to properly space the disks l6 and I1 relative to one another.

Mounted on the exterior of the cap 5 is a knob 2| that is provided with a pin or shank 22 that is journalled in an opening in the crown of the cap 5 and extends through said opening into the casing 8 to rest lightly on the upper end of the stud I 5 as 19 shown in Figure 3.

Mounted on the pin 22 to rotate therewith is an actuator arm 23. The arm 23 is secured to the pin 22 to rotate therewith through the medium of a key 24 accommodated within a way 25 pro- 15 vided on the inner end of the pin 22.

The knob 2| is secured on the cap 5 through the medium of a caller 26 arranged interiorly of the cap 5 and secured on the pin 22 through the medium of a locking pin 21 (see Figure 4). 20

Each of the disks IE, IT, as shown in Figure '7, is provided with a circular series of apertures 28, and a stud 29 adapted to be position in a selected one of the apertures 28.

Also each disk I6, I1, is provided in the periph- 25 ery thereof with a substantially V-shaped notch 30.

The arm 23 is also provided with a pair of diametrically disposed pins or studs 3| that are adapted to be placed in selected openings 28 in 30 the disks l6 so as to transmit rotative movement of the knob 2| to the said disk I6. In this connection, and as will be hereinafter more fully described, it will be appreciated that the stud 29 on the disk IE will also co-act with the stud 29 on the disk I1 for transmitting movement of the disk It to the disk I'l.

Also for projecting and retracting the bolt [2 there is provided a slide 3| provided with a shank 32 that is accommodated within a slot 33 40 provided in the crown of the cap 5 and has threaded engagement in an opening therefor provided in the bolt l2.

Also arranged on the exterior of the crown of the cap 5 is a circular series of numerals or other suitable dial indicia 34 against which an index 35 on the knob 2| is readable for operating the combination lock.

When the cap 5 is locked on the tank 6 the peripheral edges of the disks l6 and I! are engaged with the end l3 of the bolt l2 for holding the bolt projected, and the free end of the bolt engaging under the bead or rim 36 of the inlet neck 6 of the gasoline tank. To unlock the cap the dial 21 is turned in the proper direction to bring the stud 29 on the disk Hi into engagement with the stud 29 on the disk H for transmitting rotative movement to the disk I! until the latter has moved into a position bringing the notch 30 of said disk I! into alignment with the end 13 of the bolt 12. In this connection it will be understood that the operator, having knowledge of the combination will, by reading the index 35 against the graduations 34, know when disk I! has been moved to the position just mentioned. The operator then rotates the knob 2| in a reverse direction until the index 35 is opposite that numeral of the graduation 34 that indicates that the notch 36 in the disk I6 is in registry with the notch 36] in the disk I! and, consequently, in alignment with the end l3 of the bolt 2. The bolt 12 is then free to be slid into a retracted position, and the operator then pushing on the slide 3! thus shifts the bolt, the pointed end 13 of the bolt entering the registering notches so so that squared end of the bolt clears the head or rim 3% of the neck 6, permitting the cap 5 and associated parts to be removed from the neck 6.

In order to re-lock the cap it is only necessary to replace it and give the knob 2! a few turns in either direction. This throws the notches 39 out of alignment with the bolt l2 and out of registry with one another, resulting in the bolt It being projected to engage the squared end thereof under the bead 36 of the filling neck 6.

Obviously, different combinations can be made by placing the pins 23 in selected openings 28 in the respective disks i6 and I1, and also by placing the studs 3! on the arm 23 in different openings 28 in the disk It.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility, operation and advantages of a tank cap lock embodying the features of the present invention will be had without a more detailed description.

Having described the claimed as new is:

invention, what is A springless lock comprising a casing having a hole in its top and a hole in a side part thereof and a stud rising from its bottom with its upper end spaced from the top, disks rotatably arranged on the stud and each having an annular row of holes therein and a notch in a peripheral part thereof, spacers keyed to the stud and separating the disks from each other and the bottom disk from the bottom of the casing, a small stud adapted to be placed in any one of the row of holes in each disk, said small studs contacting each other, when one of the disks is turned, to cause movement of the adjacent disk, a knob having a shank at its lower end passing through the hole in the top of the casing with its lower end resting on the top of the first-mentioned stud, a washer on the shank and connected therewith for holding the shank in the casing, an arm keyed to the lower end of the shank and passing across the top of the firstmentioned stud and having projections extending downwardly from its ends, said projections adapted to engage any one of a pair of holes of the row of holes in the top disk, said disks being of the same diameter and the spacers being of less diameter than the rows of holes and one spacer being located between the top disk and the arm, a springless bolt supported for sliding movement exterior of the casing and having one end extending into the hole in the side part of the casing and manually reciprocated, the inner end of the bolt engaging the notches, when the notches are aligned with said inner end of the bolt, with the bolt in retracted position, the inner end of the bolt engaging peripheral portions of the disks when the bolt is projected and the notches are out of alignment with the bolt.

LEWIS I-I. BRANNON. ERNEST B. WALKER. 

